In March 2005 I took
part in the Secondary Education Activity as a volunteer from the International
Reading Association. The trip was just as outlined by the coordinators, but it
was vastly more rewarding on a professional and a personal level than I would
have expected.

The International Reading Associaton, in
partnership with the American Institutes for
Research, implemented an EQUIP1project from USAID
in Macedonia. Previously, I had associated USAID projects with
food and nutrition in areas damaged by natural disasters or wars. The image of
the bag of grain with the USAID logo was a visible and frequent site from news
reports. However, USAID promotes foreign development in more ways than food
distribution, and they have a number of activities related to education. USAID
funds a number of Educational Quality Improvement Programs (EQUIP) in Macedonia, one of which is the SEA
(pronounced with two syllables, SAY-ah). In order to implement the SEA, USAID
through EQUIP1 contracted with AIR and the IRA to plan and deliver the
training. The official SEA website is at http://www.sea.org.mk

Before I arrived
in Macedonia, some other educators had done the heavy lifting and
designed training modules. Elena Ackovska-Leskovska, BrankoAleksovski, William Brozo, Sonja Gosevsak-Ivanovic, VesnaJanevski, Jill Lewis, David
Moore, Gary Moorman, LirieRexhepi,
FlorinaShehu, Elizabeth
Sturtevant, and Allison Leopold put together Module I, a series of activities
related to classroom instruction. My role was to assist, guide, and support two
Macedonian instructors, Susana Trendafilova and ValentinaAnastasova, secondary
technology and math instructors, as, over a three-day conference, they taught
about 30 other teachers and administrators how to implement the Module I
activities in their classrooms.

Susana and Valentina did a great job presenting their materials. They
clearly outlined the task, showed examples, collaborated with colleagues as
they wrote up their own examples, and constructively commented on the examples
as they were shared with the group. In addition, to knowing the content, Susana
and Valentina were very competent working with
colleagues, some of whom were older, and with administrators. As I listened to
the instruction and comments, I was to help the presenters achieve their goals
and support them if they had problems. At the end of each day, the participants
completed an evaluation form, and on the next day I began the session by trying
to address the questions. Many of the comments showed the usual teacher
concerns, such as lack of resources, pressure to complete a curriculum, and
worries about student motivation. However, most of the participants were
actively engaged in the activities and showed a willingness to apply the activities
in the classroom. Since there were about 300 educators in total working in 6
other clusters, the overall level of engagement and interest, even given the
language differences, were evident.

SEA participants, ValentinaAnastasova, in white, lower left and Susana Trendafilova, kneeling, lower right

I have been
involved in a number of professional development activities, and this was one
of the best. The trainers were excellent and the participants were very involved.
It was also stimulating to note what practices the authors of Module I selected
as best practices to be exported as aid, to paraphrase the USAID motto,
"from American educators." Macedonian secondary education is
traditional, with the teacher transmitting knowledge to the student, and
adequate. The teachers are very qualified - most have university degrees in
their disciplines - and the students are attentive in class and they attend
class. For the most part, the educational system has satisfied local needs;
however, when comparing the level of educational attainment with other
countries and when considering how Macedonia, as a member of the European Union, will attract new
industries and services in the future, Macedonian educators identified areas
for improvement. Part of that improvement intends to make instruction more
student-centered by encouraging instructors to consider background of
knowledge, forming questions to guide instruction, designing authentic writing
assignments, and developing and sharing rubrics to evaluate student work. I
feel comfortable with these approaches to improve critical literacy, and it was
a pleasure to share them. While these activities are not novel in the
Macedonian educational context, the emphasis they received and their active
integration into the routine instructional practice are significant.

In
June, the participants met after the students had left their schools. The
school year was not over since the teachers had to take care of paperwork and
other tasks until 1 July, but classes had been dismissed in mid- June. It was
good to see some familiar faces and to note the brighter colors and lighter
clothes. The teachers seemed very relaxed, but this did not detract from their
commitment to the task and work. They were familiar with the schedule of the
workshops and easily shifted, as needed, from groups based on schools to groups
based on subject area. They earnestly discussed the topics and wrote their
suggestions or plans on large sheets of paper which again, as in March,
plastered the walls of the meeting room.

This
module focused on learning in the community. One of the activities included in
the module was techniques for interviewing. I had the opportunity to interview,
and be interviewed by, MitkoKosev,
a vocational teacher from UC "JosifJosifovski" in Gevgelija. We both attended neighborhood primary
schools and had fond memories of our first year teachers. We both sat at desks
which were attached to the chair and had holes drilled for ink wells. Each did
well in school, albeit in different subject areas. I gather that in Macedonia there was a greater emphasis on
celebrating the promotion from one grade to the other. Except for one teacher
who had a picnic, I recall the school year ending with kids shouting "No
more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks" with more
gusto.

School Visits

The visits to
the two schools were a study in contrasts. “GoceStojancevski” in Tetovo focuses
on training workers for the textile industry. A local textile mill used to
employ about 7,000, but now it has shrunk to just 1,000, and the future for
textiles in Macedonia is bleak due to foreign competition and outdated
infrastructure. To some extent, the run-down condition of the physical plant
reflected the deterioration of the economic situation in the community. The
principal described how the school, however, has adapted to changes in the
past, and recently it has eliminated some courses and now teaches equipment
maintenance and fashion design. (See image to left.)

About 180 students, 60% male, are enrolled in double shifts. Both
Macedonian and Albanian are languages of instruction. In a class on pattern
making, the teacher explained that the students were practicing placing
patterns on a sheet of fabric, represented by a sheet of paper, in order to
economize material; on the job, this would be done by computer. The three girls
in the class were engaged in the task; one said that she likes math. (A good
sense of spatial relationships and comfort with mathematics, e.g. calculation
of area, would enable one to do well with this task.) The principal
acknowledged the problems in the local industries and the need for material
resources in the school, and he mentioned the expertise the students were
gaining due to their participation in national fashion shows and their
marketing of some of their projects. Since Monday, 21 March was just after the
first day of spring, it was designated as Ecology Day. Students and staff were
cleaning the campus and buildings, and I had the chance to plant a tree. There
are plans to build a new school, but everyone seems to realize that is in the
distant future, and now they seem committed to making the best with the
resources at hand.

DSU DimitvarVlahov in Skopje prepares students for the service sector -
cosmetology, food processing, and graphic arts - and while the service sector
is not booming, the prospects are stronger than in manufacturing. This faint
promise was reflected in the school building which was brightly painted and
well-maintained. In her overview of the school, the assistant principal
mentioned that more pupils wanted to attend than could be accommodated and that
there was a great demand for the graduates. About 150 students are in the
fourth year, so total enrollment is probably about 600. The schedule allows for
3 hour blocks devoted to vocational area and academic subjects are taught 3
days a week.

We observed a
cosmetology class of about 25 in which students demonstrated the application of
a facial mask, and again the teacher was very well-prepared and the students
participated by answering her questions and handling the materials - the facial
cream, which had to be prepared from scratch, and the heated mask, which had to
be used carefully - with confidence and competence. The cosmetology program has
received equipment from SEA, and it has established a school company. Ecology
Day was also recognized at DSU DimitvarVlahov, but more students were in class than were on the
grounds with a tool or broom.

Since
classes had been dismissed by the June visit, there were no school visits. On
our way to lunch in Struga, we saw kids swimming in
the DrimRiver, and it seemed that they were enjoying
a rather idyllic summer: up late, swimming in the river, home for lunch...
However, it was not so simple. One of our contacts, the "Texan" owner
of the Village restaurant on the right bank of the river, had spent a lot of
time in the States and started his family there before returning to Struga. His English is excellent and his personality and
priorities are more those of an American than Macedonian. He worried about his
15 year old son who knew a good deal about computers, but who was not able to
find equipment to use nor a job in the only two local stores with computers for
they hired their own family to work there. Since the boy had been raised in the
States, his Albanian was not that good, and it seemed that the teachers were
not helping him when he had difficulty with the language. In Macedonia, opportunities are limited.

Mirroring the Past

As we were
encouraging the spread of literacy, found ourselves in historic center for
Slavic literacy, and the comments of one of my colleagues, who has a personal
and informed knowledge of Slavic history, helped me realize that what USAID and
the IRA were doing in some way reflected what had been done over a thousand
years ago.

Macedonian is a
south Slavic language, similar to Bulgarian, which is written with the Cyrillic alphabet. I
made an attempt to learn how to decode some names and signs with this 31
character alphabet since it is regularly phonetic. (Some interference which Roman
alphabet learners might face was a confusion illustrated through the red title
at the top of the page in which what looks like the letter H is a consonant and
what looks like a backward N is a vowel.) The brothers Cyril and Methodius are cited as the originators of the pre-cursor to
this alphabet, called the Granolithic alphabet, in the 800s. In order to spread
the alphabet, and literacy throughout the Slavic world, they had to develop a
system for dissemination and at the same time maintain consistency. Monasteries
in the area of LakeOhrid served as training centers and two followers of
Cyril and Methodius, Clement and Naum,
were instrumental in spreading the Cyrillic alphabet. Naum
showed up in a number of icons, and I appreciated his distinctive features.

We had an opportunity to visit one of the local mosques in Struga. From the center of town, a minaret is visible on
the right bank of the Drim, and past the open square
with a statue to Mother Teresa is a small mosque. One morning, an
English-speaking congregant opened it for us and gave a brief tour. From the
exterior, the churches, often referred to as monasteries, and mosques seem to
be constructed using similar blueprints. A square, domed structure is built out
of brick or stone; topped either with a cross or flanked with a minaret.
However, the interiors of the structures differ greatly. In the mosque, our
co-ed group was allowed on the ground floor even though the balcony was
reserved for women. The walls were painted white with beautiful Arabic
calligraphy just beneath the dome. A picture of the Ka'aba
in Mecca serves as the focal point of the open
space without any pews or chairs on the carpeted floor. A copy of the Koran, in
Arabic, was near the pulpit.

In
Struga is also an historic church dedicated to St.
George. The icons make the interior even darker, but once the lights are
switched on it is possible to identify Bible stories told in adjoining frescoes
which line the walls. Here, also, the floor space was open and empty. Seats,
designed more like supports for those standing, lined the walls, and there was
a screen to separate the celebrants in the mass from the congregation.

The SEA project
has a five-year timetable and in general it seeks to seeks to disseminate the
instructional approaches by encouraging the participants in the large general
meeting, such as the one I attended, to share the approaches with colleagues
back home in their local schools. The problems faced by SEA, dissemination of a
system and consistency of standards, are somewhat similar to the challenges
faced by Cyril and Methodius. The brothers relied on
monasteries to help train and support the literacy teachers over decades; SEA
will rely on trainers going from the large meeting I attended to working with
colleagues in local schools. The project will succeed as it ripples to small,
and in some cases, beleaguered schools.

Impressions of Skopje, LakeOhrid, and Food

In 1963 Skopje was devastated by an early morning earthquake. The
city was rebuilt, but now it suffers from quickly erected structures which are
neither visually appealing nor well-built. When walking around the city, it is
a delight to note the occasional art deco facade, but the skyline is low and
modern. The clock in the remains of the old railway station is frozen at 5:17 am.

There
is an old citadel on a rise on the left bank, and from there it is possible to
see, in one direction, a cross on a hill (a controversial installation) and in
the other, a minaret.

Near the frozen
clock, is a memorial to Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje. The size of the monument might represent her spirit
and generosity, but it does not match her appearance from news pictures as a
little, frail woman. She was Albanian, but not Muslim, so she does not fit in
with the current stereotypes.

The
city seems much friendlier and livelier in June. It was very green. Throughout
the city, there were fragrant lindens, plane trees, tall poplars, and flowering
horse chestnuts. The promenade by the VardarRiver was not empty and cold, but filled
with cafes. Kids, and some adults, whizzed by on in-line skates and there were
people on the streets until late at night.

We spent about
five days at a resort hotel on LakeOhrid (below). The lake is rimmed in the west by the Albanian mountains,
which were still snow-capped, and it is very beautiful. It is very old, formed
before the Ice Age, and fed by springs and snow run-off. Some days, it was a lake
without a horizon since the water surface disappeared into a misty sky.

My swim in the Drim. The weather in June was hot and it did
not rain for the whole ten days we were in country. LakeOhrid has only one outlet, the BlackDrimRiver, which is controlled by a dam and a
narrow, stone-lined channel as it races through Struga.
The kids swimming in the river seemed to be having a blast, and I was eager to
test myself against the current. I entered the chill but clear and refreshing
water at one of the ladders just downstream from the dam and as soon as I let
go there was no getting back. I tried to swim to the ladder, but just lost
ground (so to speak.) I went with the current and drifted downstream about 50
meters, at maybe 5 mph?, until I grabbed the next
ladder. Here, I tried to swim across the river, angling upstream to compensate
for the current. Missed that ladder by about 5 meters.
Now I was about 55 meters from where I started and on the opposite bank.
Luckily, Wayne Linek had volunteered to carry a bag
with my pants, sandals, and shirt. By now the current was less strong, and I
could enjoy swimming in the clean, clear water and intrigued by the weeds and
rocks on the bottom.

The
servings in Macedonian restaurants are quite large. In order for Americans to
eat a satisfying meal without wasting too much food, it is advisable to
multiple the courses by .8. For example, if 7 volunteers are dining out, rather
than ordering 7 salads and 7 entrees, the 14 courses should be multiplied by .8
and 11 dishes ordered. This formula is still being developed, and it needs to
include the "dessert anticipation variable," "distance walked
multiplier" and "time-to-next meal" quotient.

LakeOhrid is famous for its trout, which was excellent. Usually, it was just
served grilled. The food was substantial, but not spicy. A solid, white cheese
was served often, but we were reminded that it is not feta. Actually, the
Macedonian cheese does not crumble as easily and is not as salty. Macedonians
seemed to be quite proud of their peppers, and they were present at every meal.
The sweet ones showed up on the breakfast table and in salads; small, hot
yellow sticks of dynamite were also on the breakfast table. More one person
told me about preparing gallons of ajvar, a pepper
spread, each fall. Here is a recipe.

In
June, our trip ended with a recital by students from the BrakaMiladinovciSchool for the performing arts in Skopje. The performers had won prizes in
international competitions and their piano, violin, and horn performances
showed their talents. The last performance, by the six girls in native
costumes, was a folk song related to the arrival of spring. Their voices were
clear and strong, and the call-and-answer verses were sung in a distinctive and
beautiful style.

Here
is an annotated bibliography of some books for more information on Macedonia.

Macedonia: Warlords and Rebels in the Balkans by John Phillips This account, written
by a journalist, may suffer from a lack of perspective since it focuses on the
years 2000 to 2003, but it is a superb introduction to the current political
situation.

Milosevic:
A Biography by Adam LeBor and Milosevic: Portrait of a Tyrant by Louise
Branson Any understanding of the current situation is linked to Milosevic, but
his story is still being told, especially in the Hague tribunal.

The
Bridge on the Drina by IvoAndric
This novel is actually set in Bosnia, but its historical scope and vivid
characters make it valuable for an appreciation of the Macedonian culture which
is divided between Christian and Muslim and which was under Turkish rule for
even longer than Bosnia.

Confessions
of a Macedonian Bandit: A Californian in the Balkan
Wars by Albert Sonnichsen This first person account by a California journalist “embedded” with Macedonian
guerillas was written in 1906. The firefights with Turks and Greeks along with
the political infighting with Bulgarians present a background for current
conflicts a century later.

Macedonia, Bradt
Travel Guide So far, this seems to be the only English travel guide on the
country.

Credits

Picture of USAID bag of grain from
www.state.gov/r/pa/ ei/pix/b/sa/af/events/9292.htm